The invention relates to a screw compressor for compressing refrigerant in a refrigerant circuit, comprising a compressor housing, in which a screw rotor receiving means and an inlet channel as well as an outlet channel for the refrigerant to be compressed are provided, at least one screw rotor arranged in the screw rotor receiving means, a drive for the at least one screw rotor and a lubricant supply which conveys lubricant from a lubricant reservoir acted upon by pressure via a line system at least to the at least one screw compressor during operation.
Screw compressors of this type are known from the state of the art but the problem with them is that when the screw compressors are switched off there is often the risk of lubricant continuing to run in them and, therefore, of this lubricant collecting in the screw rotor receiving means in the area of the screw rotors and, as a result, leading to problems when the screw rotors are started up. For this reason, an external magnetic valve and an external flow monitor are provided in the lubricant supply and these devices prevent any excessive supply of lubricant, in particular, during stoppage of the screw compressor. They do, however, have the disadvantage that their operational functioning is not reliable.
The object underlying the invention is, therefore, to improve a screw compressor of the generic type in such a manner that the operation and the monitoring of the screw compressor are more reliable.